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Longmont police continue looking for father accused of kidnapping son after shooting mom with a Taser, pepper spray

Monty Turner wanted on suspicion of kidnapping, burglary, assault

By Pierrette J. Shields and John Fryar Longmont Times-Call

Posted:
05/25/2013 11:31:40 AM MDT

Updated:
05/26/2013 02:42:32 PM MDT

Monty Turner

LONGMONT -- Authorities today are continuing to search for a man suspected of breaking into his estranged wife's Longmont home Saturday morning, shooting her with a Taser and pepper spray, and kidnapping the couple's 3-year-old son, Luke Turner.

Late Saturday night, Longmont Police Cmdr. Jeff Satur said that "we have strong information to believe" that 51-year-old Monty Ray Turner and his son, Luke, were heading along the Interstate 70 corridor through Kansas to Missouri in a white four-door 1999 Chrysler 300.

Satur said Longmont police also believed that Monty and Luke Turner were traveling with Monty's 73-year-old father, Ronald Turner.

Luke Turner, 3, peers over the couch, Friday, March 22, 2013, at his home in Longmont. Call 911 or 651-8501 with any information about their whereabouts.
(Matthew Jonas)

Early this morning, Satur reported that the Missouri State Highway Patrol had located the white Chrysler traveling on a highway in Vernon County, Missouri, which is in the west central part of that state.

Ronald Turner, Monty's father and Luke's grandfather, was arrested as a suspected accessory to the alleged kidnapping, but Monty and Luke Turner were not in the car.

She said that when the boy's father began struggling with her inside her home on Saturday morning, the boy was yelling: "Please don't hurt my mommy."

Police believe Monty Turner took the boy and left the area of the 700 block of Eldora Place on a bicycle at about 10 a.m. Saturday. Satur said Monty Turner and the boy were last seen eastbound on Mountain View Avenue from Independence Drive. Satur said police believe a vehicle was waiting for him somewhere in the area and that he had help.

Luke had just been returned to Brandy Turner in March after Monty Turner had previously taken the child and disappeared last July. In that case, no crime had been committed because both parents had custody rights.

Longmont Police Cmdr. Jeff Satur said investigators believe Monty and Luke Turner may be in a white four-door 1999 Chrysler 300 similar to this one, with Colorado license plate 161-ZXZ and that they might be traveling to Missouri where Monty Turner has relatives along the Interstate Highway 70 corridor through Kansas.
(
Courtesy Longmont Police
)

However, Brandy Turner now has sole rights to the child, who is described as blonde with blue eyes. Luke was last seen wearing a royal blue "Lightning McQueen" shirt and light blue swim trunks.

Police tracked Monty Turner and Luke to the child's paternal grandparents' Washington County property in March, where Satur said the boy and his father were found hiding under carpet padding inside a truck -- an action, Satur said Saturday, that "just does not seem like great parenting."

In that earlier incident, the family's search for Luke had included a Facebook community with more than 9,100 followers and a profile with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Monty Turner has relatives in Missouri, and Satur put out the word on Saturday night that Luke, Monty and Ronald were thought to be on their way there in the white Chrysler.

That was one of several vehicles police earlier had said might have been involved in the kidnapping, including: amaroon 2001 Dodge Caravan with Colorado tag 576-ZXY; a brown, four-door 1997 Ford F350 pick-up with Colorado tag 541-YLH; and a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Colorado tag 837-UHS.

Police at one point had earlier included a dark blue 2001 Ford F350 in that list, but said later Saturday that it had been located in Weld County -- and that Monty Turner and the boy weren't in it -- so "it is no longer considered to be involved."

Brandy Turner smiles as she holds her son Luke Turner, 3, Friday, March 22, 2013 at their home in Longmont. Luke, who was missing since July, was returned home Thursday night, March 21, after investigators tracked him to his paternal grandparents' property in Washington County, Colorado.
(
Matthew Jonas
)

An Amber Alert has been issued, and Satur said police have called the FBI for assistance.

Monty Turner was akready wanted on an outstanding warrant with a $50,000 bond for failure to appear in court, an appearance that Satur said Monty Turner was supposed to have made in connection with a hearing on a protection order.

Brandy Turner had a protection order in place against Monty Turner at the time of Saturday's incident, police reported, and Brandy Turner said that under that order, Monty Turner wasn't to be allowed near their son.

Longmont police now have obtained a warrant for Monty Turner's arrest on several possible charges in connection with Saturday's incident, including suspicion of: second degree burglary; second degree kidnapping; menacing; violation of a custody order; third degree assault; obstruction of telephone service; violation of a protection order; child abuse; and domestic violence.

Brandy Turner told reporters that she found her husband in her back yard when she went outside to take out some trash on Saturday morning. She said she talked to him for a few minutes but went inside to call 911, locked the door behind her before Monty Turner broke his way in.

Brandy Turner said Luke was eating breakfast when Monty Turner attacked her, with the boy witnessing at least part of that attack.

"I was screaming and fighting," she said.

She was treated at Longmont United Hospital for her injuries after police arrived, Satur said.

Brandy Turner said that before Saturday morning, Luke wasn't afraid of his father and had actually "asked for him a couple of times." But she said her son was visibly scared when he saw Monty Turner struggling with his mother.

Brandy Turner said that based on what happened at her home on Saturday, Monty Turner "definitely had a plan" about what he intended to do. But she said that "I don't know what his plans are now."

"I'm really worried for my son," she said.

Satur said authorities are concerned about the child's safety, based on Brandy Turner's report about Monty Turner's "pretty extreme behavior" Saturday morning.

Brandy Turner said that if Monty Turner sees the video from her Saturday afternoon news conference, her appeal to the boy's father is: "Don't hurt him ... Think about Luke instead of yourself."

The Amber Alert issued on Saturday afternoon describes Monty Ray Turner as a 51-year-old white male with blue eyes and brown hair, about 6 feet, 2 inches tall, and weighing about 230 pounds. He was last seen wearing a long-sleeve dark blue shirt and blue jeans.

Luke is about 3 feet tall and weighs about 28 pounds.

Anyone with information about the location of the father and son is asked to call 911 or the Longmont Police Department at 303-651-8501.

Tips also may be left with Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. Tips may be submitted online a www.nococrimestoppers.com or via text message to 244637 using keyword "NOCO" followed by tip information. Tipsters who provide information leading to an arrest and filing of charges in the case may be eligible for an award up to $2,000.

Luke Taylor's alleged Saturday kidnapping came on this year's observance of National Missing Children's Day, the May 25 date when law enforcement agencies and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children annually highlight the problem of child abduction.